Eat healthfully while taking body challenge

Can you believe it's week five of the body challenge workout
already? How do you feel? By now you should be more conscious of
eating little and often, and remember, having a good appetite isn't
a bad thing.

If you have lost weight on this plan, well done. If not, you
might be getting impatient that your rate of weight loss is not as
fast as you would like, but believe me, the safest and most
effective way to lose weight is to follow a healthy eating plan and
exercise regularly. In the long run, you'll lose the pounds, but
not at the expense of your health.

Remember to check food labels for their fat and calorie content.
For weeks five and six, I'd recommend eating more whole grain
cereals like muesli, whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole wheat
noodles and pasta, potatoes, sweet potato and yam to form the base
of all your meals. Whole grains are excellent sources of insoluble
fiber, which is important to keep your gut healthy and help prevent
constipation. Remember to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated
and keep things moving through your system.

It is also important to realize that a fit body requires
calories to burn during training as well as during recovery from
exercise. So don't forget to eat energy-packed protein such as
chicken, fish, lean turkey or tofu.

To improve your fitness level means feeling stronger and being
more conscious of your body. So, the next time you're in the gym,
try to engage your abdominal muscles (by keeping them pulled in)
throughout all your exercises. Try using one new cardio and one new
weight-lifting machine as well. See if you can do your cardio
routine for at least five minutes longer than usual, but not more
than 10 minutes longer than normal. If you're not sure how to use
the machines, ask a trainer or gym staff member.

The slow-and-controlled method also applies to resistance
exercises such as squats and press-ups.

Your exercise program is going to be very similar to what you
have already been doing; however, you are going to take fewer
breaks in between each set. You will now do two sets of 12 to 15
repetitions of each exercise but you should be moving from one
exercise to the other in a rotation. Do a full set of each
exercise, then come back to do them all over again. This is called
a circuit.

If you are able to repeat this circuit three times, that would
be even better.

Keep your weights at a higher level so that your last two
repetitions are hard to do.

You will do this circuit for week five and week six:

Week 5 and Week 6 Body Challenge Workout

n Monday: Weight training. Do each exercise 12 to 15
repetitions, then repeat.

Squats, lunges, push-ups. Chest press with dumbbells or bar (if
you are at home you can use water bottles or heavy cans as
weights). Single arm bent over rows, shoulder raises (side),
forward shoulder raises, bicep curls, tricep overhead extensions,
crunches, reverse crunches (bring your knees to your chest and back
down). Stretch.